Ahly bounce back from Degla defeat to crush lowly Aswan

Ahly restored their eight-point advantage over second-placed Zamalek with a thumping 4-0 win at Aswan

Ahly convincingly bounced back from last week's shock 1-0 defeat to Wadi Degla to thrash Aswan 4-0 in the Egyptian league at Aswan Stadium on Thursday.
Having entered the game five points ahead of second-placed and arch-foes Zamalek who beat Petrojet 2-0 earlier on the day, Ahly were burdened with restoring their eight-point advantage at Aswan – which they eventually did.
Three first-half goals from center-back Rami Rabia, striker Malick Evouna and midfielder Abdallah El-Said within less than 10 minutes suggested Ahly were cruising towards a vital victory in their pursuit of the league title.
Winger Moemen Zakareya then added the fourth on 71 minutes in an otherwise dreary second-half to wrap up the win and reach their 62nd point of the campaign.
Ahly bag three in 10 minutes
Aswan showed great intent to press the league leaders early on, and the hosts were unlucky to see a header from Shoukry Naguib bounce off the post in the first minute.
Ahly, on the other side, replied just three minutes later with another missed chance from point-blank range, when winger Ramadan Sobhi hit narrowly wide El-Said's cross from the left.
Resorting to a deep back line without the ball, Aswan looked quite vulnerable during counter-attacks, with the pace of Evouna, Sobhi and Zakareya causing them problems.
The Reds' opener, however, came from a set-piece, with Rabia – who was responsible for his side's last-gasp concession against Wadi Degla last week - heading powerfully Ahmed Fathi's corner kick in the 39th minute.
Fathi, who was on the receiving end of Ahly's fans' wrath after a series of wayward crosses in the defeat to Degla, dished out his second assist just a minute later, this time setting up Evouna with a low cross that the latter expertly struck into the net.
But a two-goal advantage seemed not to suffice Ahly with the first half heading into stoppage time, as El-Said made it three with a deflected shot from outside the area on the stroke of half-time.
An insipid second half saw Ahly control possession but barely pose threat on goal until adding their fourth goal in the 73rd minute through Zakareya.
A surge by Sobhi down the right towards goal ended up with him setting up the midfielder who scored into an empty net Ahly's fourth of the night.
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